When In Nightmares
by AveryGrace824
Summary: Everyone's so bent on opening the coffin and finding the answer to Klaus' demise. But what if the contents aren't just a weapon? What if it's your worst nightmare? Set after 3x12.
1. Haunting

**A/N:** Okay, so, this idea just sort of popped into my head today and I had the urge to start writing. I have no idea where I'm going with this, but I do have a basic direction. Anyway, let me know what you think so far and if it's worth continuing. It takes place after 3x12, The Ties That Bind.

**Summary: **Everyone's so bent on opening the coffin and finding the answer to Klaus' demise. But what if the contents aren't just a weapon? What if it's your worst nightmare?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any characters there-in. If I did, Damon would do a lot more sexy bar-top dances.

When In Nightmares

_Every part of her body hurt. It felt like being consumed by flames from the inside out, but every scream she cried only brought on another bought of pain, as if the witch could care less how much it hurt. She pleaded for her to stop, that there had to be another way, but her pleas fell on deaf, uncaring ears. The screams of another began to fill the air and she vaguely recognized Klaus' strangled voice. _

_ Looking up briefly, her weary eyes met his and he clawed the ground in an attempt to drag himself closer to her, but the pain racking his own body made it impossible. The pain started to die down as the first part of the ritual came to a close, and she knew she wouldn't survive the second. That's when she noticed a man she'd never seen before, standing beside Michael; a man with black eyes and withered skin. He looked menacing, even from this distance and a cold chill ran over her, like all the warmth had just been sucked from the air._

_ Before she could register more than that, the pain began again and she let out another agonizing cry as the witch bent over her with a knife at her neck._

Elena shot straight up in bed; a cold sweat covering her body and making her sheets stick to her skin. She peeled them off and sat panting in bed, trying to catch her breath. Where had that even come from? Her skin still crawled from the image of that man and her stomach was still tightened at the memory of the pain.

She glanced over at the clock that read five o'clock and let out a long sigh. Over the past few months, she'd gotten used to the lack of sleep, but she longed for the days when she used to stay in bed until noon. Groggily, she crawled out of bed and made her way to the shower, only to stop dead in her tracks when she caught sight of the zombie in the mirror.

The circles were dark under her eyes and her skin even seemed paler, unhealthy. She knew it was just the stress, but it was still scary to look at. While she waited on the water to heat up, she cracked the door to Jeremy's room to check on him out of habit, before she remembered he wasn't there. Although there were still pictures on his walls and sheets on his bed, the emptiness radiated from the room and it widened the hole Elena had in her chest for her brother.

Before she could add grief to her rollercoaster of emotions, she slammed his door and angrily removed her pajamas, happy when the warm water started to wash away all her tension. She decided to turn her mind to something besides that disturbing dream, and they ended up where they usually did these days… Damon.

_No, its right. Just not right now._

His words had echoed in her head every free moment she had. Even though she'd let Stefan go, she still couldn't shake the thought that dating his brother was wrong, especially when she knew she couldn't give him her whole heart. Stefan, the old Stefan, still had a part of it and he just wouldn't let it go. Not to mention the perilous situation they were in right now wasn't exactly healthy for a budding relationship. Just look at Bonnie and Jeremy, or Caroline and Tyler. It was like asking for heartbreak.

But why couldn't she stop thinking about those blue eyes and soft lips…

Okay, so maybe focusing on the nightmare was better. At least she didn't have to worry about blushing at the wrong moment when it was on her mind. With all these thoughts of Damon, she couldn't remember if she'd even shampooed her hair and ended up spending forty-five minutes in the shower instead of her usual fifteen, and couldn't even focus on the items in her closet.

After settling for her usual jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt ensemble, she plodded tiredly down the stairs.

"Mornin."

Elena jumped and nearly let out a scream at the sudden voice in the quiet house until she spotted Damon on the couch.

"Really? You couldn't just call."

"What's got your panties in a twist this morning?"

"Nothing," Elena mumbled, making for the kitchen before he could see the blush that spread over her cheeks as she took in those lips again.

"Fine, little Miss I'm In Denial. Don't tell me."

"I just… didn't get very much sleep. And why are you here so early?"

"Stefan and I got in a fight. I could hear him brooding in his sleep."

"A fight? About what?" Just as the question left her mouth, Elena realized exactly what the fight was about and refocused her attention on the coffeemaker.

"Let's just say he didn't give us his blessing."

"I had to tell him. I just thought he had a right to know."

"Hey, I'm not complaining if you want to take our relationship public."

"Damon…"

"I know; we don't have one… _yet_."

Elena eyed him incredulously before just rolling her eyes and grabbing a coffee mug from the cabinet, content to let the subject drop.

"You know, you should probably eat breakfast. It would help with…" Elena knew Damon was most likely still talking, but his voice had taken on a muted quality as she stared at a man's face glaring back at her in the window… the exact face from her dream! Her heart raced in her chest and her lungs felt as if they'd stopped completely.

It wasn't until the coffee mug she'd been holding crashed into the linoleum that she was finally pulled from her shock.

"Elena! Elena, what's wrong!"

Damon continued to shake her, pulling her face around to look in her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Elena turned back to the window, but the face was gone.

"Yeah; I just… thought I saw something. It's just the nightmare I had last night… it has me on edge."

But she was so sure it was real. What was wrong with her? Maybe after all this stress and tragedy, she'd finally started to crack. Damon was still looking at her like he thought she would break and his hands were still heavy and protective on her shoulders, holding her in place.

"Well, I think for now, we should keep you away from any sharp or pointy objects," Damon joked, but she could still hear the worry thick in his throat. He guided her carefully to the table, making sure she avoided the shards of the broken coffee mug and sat her down.

"Why don't you just sit here and I'll make you breakfast, as long as you don't tell anyone. I don't do that for all the girls."

He left her with a wink before moving around the kitchen, cleaning up her mess and starting some pancakes. She watched him in a daze, the face with the black eyes still at the forefront of her mind. What if this wasn't just a regular dream? What if it was a message?

A noise she couldn't place filled up the background, but she ignored it until Damon left the stove to retrieve her cell phone, eyeing her nervously the whole time.

"Hello," he answered.

"Damon? What are you doing at Elena's so early? And why didn't Elena answer her phone," Bonnie asked.

"Elena's… not feeling well at the moment. Is it important?"

"No, I guess not. My mom and I are still working on spells to open the coffin. I just wanted to tell her I'm skipping school today."

"Enjoy the maternal bonding."

"Whatever. Just tell her to call me when she feels better."

Damon ended the call without another word, too distracted by the dead look that had come across Elena's face. This wasn't like her. He moved to retrieve the plate of pancakes and sat them in from of her.

"Eat, Elena. Please."

Slowly, she picked up the fork and did as he said, trying desperately to concentrate on the food.

"These are really good," she complemented.

"They came out of box. It wasn't that hard."

"The last time I made pancakes I kept burning them." There still wasn't any emotion in her voice and Damon's face was growing more worried by the minute.

"Elena… what happened in this dream?"

At first, she was so quiet, he didn't think he'd get an answer and was even considering compelling her. Then her troubled eyes met his as she relived the nightmare.

"I was in some clearing in the woods. Klaus was there… and we were both in pain. There was a witch, and I think she was doing some kind of spell on both of us. I think she was about to kill me. And Michael was there with this man. The man had black eyes…"

Elena stopped, focusing on the black eyes of the mystery man, until Damon took her shoulders in his hands.

"You're shaking, Elena."

"I've never seen a face that evil. It was like he could stare right into your soul and burn it. It was just… wrong. That's the face I saw just now, in the window."

Damon flashed to the window, staring out into the empty back yard. He extended his senses, listening to every rustling leaf and barking dog until he ascertained that there was nothing there. But she'd seen something.

"Elena? You're up early. And what are you doing here Damon," Alaric asked, voice still thick with sleep.

No one answered him and he slowly keyed in to the tense situation.

"What's going on?"

"Elena had a bad dream," Damon informed him once it was clear that Elena wouldn't speak. He stopped himself from saying any more, not sure how much Elena was comfortable with sharing.

"Okay… that still doesn't explain why you're here; though you practically live here."

"If it'll shut you up, I made pancakes," Damon offered. Although his smirk was present, Alaric noticed something brewing behind his carefree façade and guessed the situation was more than just a frightening nightmare.

"Elena, you can tell me what happened. I know something's wrong."

After staring deeply into Alaric's caring eyes, Elena finally retold her dream until she was once again stunned into silence.

"This seems significant. Maybe we should tell Bonnie," Alaric suggested.

"Please don't make me describe it again," Elena pleaded. It was the first time Alaric had heard her sound so scared, but for Damon it brought back the memory of the night Lexi's boyfriend had tried to kill him, and Elena had begged for his life.

And then, Elena had a revelation that had her shooting right out of her chair.

"Maybe I don't have to. I can just show you."

"What do you mean," Damon asked, not sure he liked the crazy fire he was seeing in her eyes.

"You can go into my dreams… see it for yourself."

"Are you sure? You're just giving me permission to walk around in your head?"

"If it really is important, I want you to see it for yourself."

Damon contemplated the idea. He hadn't been in Elena's head since almost a year ago, though he'd wanted to, many times. Though this was enticing, he was afraid she'd regret it later, especially if he saw something she didn't want him too. And what if he saw something he didn't like? It's not like navigating someone else's subconscious is an exact science.

But if this dream was important, he needed to see it for himself.

"Where do you want to do this?"

Elena smiled and took his hand, guiding him to the stairs. Alaric sat at the now empty kitchen table, staring after them.

"This is going to be bad."

**A/N: **So what do you think? Good story line or worst idea ever?


	2. Lay Me Down

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. My son was sick, but he's feeling better now. I hope it was worth the wait! And thanks to everyone that reviewed; it means a lot!

Chapter 2: Lay Me Down

"Should we do this… lying down," Elena asked, unable to meet Damon's gaze.

"Since you'll be asleep, it would probably be best… but clothes are optional."

Elena gave Damon her best "drop dead" look before stomping over to the bed and lying down, watching him climb in bed beside her.

"Relax. The more tense you are, the harder it will be for you to concentrate," Damon explained, smirking as her cheeks lit up like flames. "It's not like this is the first time I've been in your bed."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Alaric muttered as he entered and took a seat at Elena's vanity.

"You know, Ric, you don't have to be here. It's ruining the whole vibe."

"I think with you digging around inside Elena's head, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with a front row seat."

"Fine. Are you ready," Damon asked Elena, his eyes growing softer as he took in her troubled face.

"As I'll ever be."

Elena quickly unclasped her bracelet containing the vervain she always wore and tossed it onto her bedside table.

"Close your eyes."

Without further prompting, Elena's eyelids drooped and she focused on relaxing every part of her body, making her breathing slow and even. She felt Damon settle in beside her, reaching over to take her hand and the contact from his skin had her heart racing again.

"Deep breaths, Elena. I need you to try and focus on the dream."

She did as instructed, after taking the extra seconds to slow her speeding heart. It didn't help that she could feel his hot breath on her neck, driving her closer to insanity, but she managed to block it out and brought up the image of the witch, and then the man… Klaus… Mikael…

Damon watched her features settle and started guiding her towards unconsciousness. Once he was sure she was asleep, he closed his own eyes and followed her in. Instantly, he could feel her fear as it consumed him. And then there was an intense pain, but he focused on blocking it out, allowing the picture to come into clearer focus.

They were in a clearing somewhere in the woods, with the light of the moon illuminating several individuals. He saw Elena crouched on the ground, gripping her stomach and writhing in pain. Without thinking, he ran to her, only to remember that he couldn't interfere; he had to let the dream play out. Another scream alerted him to Klaus, who was several feet away from Elena. He noticed both were inside circles made with leaves and salts.

It was a spell, just as Elena had described, but then he noticed something else… their clothes. They looked way too old to pass for any modern design, even older than his time, and Klaus' hair hung down past his shoulders. Elena's dress was also very old and her hair was longer than he'd ever seen it.

Klaus began clawing the earth, trying to get to Elena, his face showing actual concern. And not just concern that he would no longer have the blood necessary for his hybrids; this was a heartbroken look, like he was about to lose the most important thing in his life. Damon assumed this was what his own face had looked like the first time he heard that Elena was planning to die in the sacrifice ritual.

Chanting filled the background, though he knew Elena was in too much pain to hear it, and the witch made herself known. Elena fell limp to the ground as the pain released her, but the ritual wasn't through. Glancing around, he saw Mikael watching from the sidelines with another.

This second man never took his eyes from Elena, eyes that were completely black. A chill filled the air and even Damon could feel the sinister edge to this man, sending ice cold fear straight down his spine. Over the last century and a half, Damon had met monsters, even been one himself, but he'd never been so scared of anyone in his life. The man's black eyes held a sort of pride as he watched Elena and Klaus suffer, and a smile broke across his face as Elena's pain resumed, and the air was once again filled with her screams.

That was the only sound that could have pulled Damon's concentration from the mysterious figure and it took every ounce of strength in his body not to wake Elena right then and end her agonizing screams. The witch made her way to Elena, continuing her chant with a knife held firmly in her hand. He could faintly hear Klaus begging the witch to stop, but she ignored him.

Elena's pain increased with each step the witch took, but it wasn't until the knife descended towards Elena's neck that Damon pulled her from the dream, barely catching his breath.

"Elena, it's okay. I'm right here," Alaric soothed as Elena shot straight out of bed, still screaming.

"No it's not! Damon, you're hurting my hand."

Looking down, he realized he still had her hand held _very_ tightly in his; it was lucky he hadn't broken any bones.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Elena massaged her swollen hand, eyeing Damon warily.

"Are _you_ okay," she asked.

"Getting there. It was pretty intense… too intense for just a regular dream. It has to mean something."

"What kind of ritual do you think that was?"

"Based on the clothing, I'd say a very old one. And it involved Klaus…"

"The clothing?"

"You were in too much pain to notice, but the clothes you and Klaus were wearing were probably fashionable a thousand years ago."

"Well, what about that man?"

"Yeah, the freak with the black eyes was creepy. I've never seen anything that looked like that."

"His skin was just so… old looking, but I don't think he was really as old as he looked."

Alaric watched them discuss what they'd just seen as they unconsciously scooted closer together on the bed. Elena didn't even realize how close she'd gotten until she tried to run a shaky hand through her hair, only to have it land against Damon's chest. Looking up, their faces were just inches apart and for a moment, Elena could only focus on his lips… and the dreamy look in his eyes.

"Was that all," Alaric asked, pulling them both from the staring contest.

"Oh… uh… yeah, that was pretty much it," Elena responded, moving to get off the bed and away from a very self-satisfied Damon.

Damon stood and retrieved the bracelet from the table; pulling her hand to him as he clasped the jewelry into place. Examining her hand, he could plainly see where his fingers had been just moments ago, and where bruises would be by tomorrow.

"It's not that bad," Elena reassured him, but Damon wasn't one to brood. His trademark smirk was back in place and he laid a gentle kiss to her swollen knuckles before releasing her hand.

Elena's phone rang, shrill and demanding, from where they'd left it downstairs and she moved quickly to reach it before it stopped. Damon beat her there, already answering the call and handing the phone to her.

"Hello," Elena answered, rolling her eyes at the smiling Damon.

"We found something," Bonnie trilled, the excitement spilling through the phone.

"What do you mean?"

"On the coffin; there's a picture engraved into the side. We think it represents the talisman necessary to open it. I think you should come take a look."

"We'll be right there."

Only twenty minutes later, they were walking, once again, through the cave under the old Lockwood property. Damon thought it a stroke of genius that he'd hidden the coffin here. Though he couldn't get in, he'd slid the coffin into the inner room, knowing that even if Klaus found it, he couldn't get in.

But he wasn't so keen on having Elena and the others in there with a coffin containing some unknown weapon when he couldn't get inside.

Just then, a strange noise filled the tunnel, starting out small but growing louder by the second. It was an odd screeching sound and something that sounded like the flutter of wings. Elena looked above her, only to see a half dozen bats flying right at her. She screamed out in fright, clutching Damon's arm and hiding her face in his jacket.

"You'd take on vampires and hybrids in a second, but you're scared of bats? Really," Damon chuckled.

Elena glanced up, ensuring that the bats were gone, before relaxing her death grip on Damon's arm.

"I told you to be careful with that flashlight," Alaric warned.

"Yeah, we'd hate for you to get carried off by a five pound bat." Damon nearly laughed out loud at the annoyed anger glaring out of Elena's usually soft brown eyes. She threw a swift punch at his arm.

"Why don't you just go fly off with your cousins," Elena suggested, flashing a smirk of her own before following Alaric further into the cave.

Damon was still following Elena, watching the sway of her hips, when he came up against the barrier, rolling his eyes and internally cursing the witches who put it up.

"There you are. You've got to see this," Bonnie exclaimed as soon as they were in.

She bent down, pointing to the side of the coffin where there was an engraving that looked like the sun, with a tiny red ruby in the center.

"We've been digging through the grimoires all day and most spells like this are sealed with a talisman, like the tomb spell. Sometimes, a picture of the talisman is left on the vessel, reminding the witch what was needed to open it. We think that's what this is," Bonnie explained with her mother beaming at her side, clearly impressed by all her daughter had learned in the short time she'd received her powers.

"You know, Elena, that curvy figure of yours doesn't make a very good window," Damon shouted, shifting on his feet in an attempt to get a better look at the coffin. Elena rolled her eyes, but moved to the side so he could see.

"Do you know where this talisman might be," Alaric asked.

"Not yet, but we've been studying the coffin itself, hoping to find some indicator of how old it might be. If we can find what time period it's from, we might be able to figure out which witch spelled it," Abby explained.

"You mean there isn't a spell for that," Damon replied in his snarky way. Both Abby and Bonnie ignored him.

Elena continued to stare at the engraving; it just looked so familiar… but she couldn't quite place it. Slowly, she traced her hand over its shape, committing it to memory. As her fingers found the ruby, it hit her.

"I know where I've seen this," she spoke quietly, voice quivering with unshed tears at the realization of exactly what this represented. "It's my mother's necklace."

"What? You mean Miranda's necklace," Abby exclaimed, eyeing the engraving again. Elena nodded, moving away from the coffin, but never took her eyes off the sun.

"She used to wear it all the time."

"That's why the shape looked so familiar to me," Abby mumbled. "It's been so long since I'd seen that necklace… but you're right, that has to be it."

"Elena, where is that necklace now," Alaric asked as soothingly as he could. He prayed it wasn't buried with her mother. After everything Elena had been through, they couldn't just dig up her mom.

"I don't know. She never took it off. I'm sure she had it on the day she died… but the paramedics said it was gone when they pulled the car out of the water."

The tears that had been kept at bay now streamed down her face and she found she couldn't stare at that coffin any longer. Turning on her heel, she fled the cave, brushing off Damon's hand when he tried to stop her.

"Elena," he called, following her outside.

Once in the sunlight, she collapsed to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself. Hadn't she already gotten past her parents death? Why did seeing that shape make it all seem new again? She felt gentle hands on her shoulders and Damon's lips touch her forehead.

"Are you okay," he asked, placing his hand under her chin and bringing her face up to meet his.

"There are just… so many memories. My dad's mom gave her that necklace on their wedding day. She said it was handed down to every Gilbert girl, but since she'd had only boys, she gave it to my mom. It was supposed to be mine when I graduated high school. And then it was just gone…"

Another round of sobs consumed her and she was surprised when Damon's arms wrapped around her, holding her together.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

Damon pulled her too her feet with one arm still wrapped around her as he guided her back to his car.

"What about Ric," Elena asked, not wanting to leave him stranded, but also scared to go back in the cave.

"He can ride back on Bonnie's broomstick."

The ghost of a smile lighted Elena's face and she rested her head against the seat, letting the hum of the car's engine calm her. She kept her eyes closed for most of the ride, but was surprised when the car stopped in front of the arcade instead of her house. Greasy pizza and electronic snowboarding weren't exactly what she'd had in mind, but after an hour of gloating to Damon about her latest victory in foosball, she found herself letting go of her troubles.

By the time they'd made it back to Elena's for supper, she was smiling again.

"You look happy," Alaric commented between mouthfuls of Chinese food.

"Thanks to Damon."

Elena found herself smiling as she thought back to him stuffing his face with cheese pizza. She was reminded how much fun they had together when there wasn't crisis after crisis to deal with; like the time in Atlanta. She missed that.

Thoughts of Damon filled her mind and instead of pushing them back down, she encouraged them, welcoming the distraction from her more pressing problems. Those blue eyes were still on her mind when she climbed in bed, but her smile was wiped from her face when she once again found herself in another nightmare.

_ She was in the most beautiful, ornate house she'd ever seen. It had a classic beauty to it. Outside, she could hear thunder in the distance and the light from the sun was quickly fading. It was obvious at once that she was only a bystander in this dream, instead of an active participant like the last one. _

_ A woman came rushing out into the hall, panicked as she stared out the front windows. The lady was beautiful, and her dark blue, hoop-skirt dress accented her flawless ivory skin and dark hair. She turned around and Elena's breath caught in her throat. _

_ The woman had the most beautiful light blue eyes, just like…_

_ "Mother," a young boy called as he rushed down the stairs. Elena knew him instantly._

_ "Damon?"_

**A/N:** So, what part do you think Damon's mom plays in this? I'm sorry I didn't elaborate on Damon and Elena's time at the arcade. I was afraid it would take away from the story. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	3. Secrets Better Left Hidden

**A/N:** Thursday's episode was so amazing! Here's chap. 3. And thanks for all the wonderful reviews!

Chapter 3: Secrets Better Left Hidden

_She was in the most beautiful, ornate house she'd ever seen. It had a classic beauty to it. Outside, she could hear thunder in the distance and the light from the sun was quickly fading. It was obvious at once that she was only a bystander in this dream, instead of an active participant like the last one. _

_ A woman came rushing out into the hall, panicked as she stared out the front windows. The lady was beautiful, and her dark blue, hoop-skirt dress accented her flawless ivory skin and dark hair. She turned around and Elena's breath caught in her throat. _

_ The woman had the most beautiful light blue eyes, just like…_

_ "Mother," a young boy called as he rushed down the stairs. Elena knew him instantly._

_ "Damon," Elena thought aloud._

_ "Mother, I've closed all the windows upstairs. The storm is getting – "_

_ "Damon, take your brother and go to the cellar! Now!"_

_ "Why? What's wrong, Mother?"_

_ "Do as I say!"_

_ The young Damon turned and ran for the sitting room, returning with a small toddler in his arms. His mother ran to a door under the stairs and held it open for them._

_ "Mother, what's wrong," Damon asked._

_ "Nothing you need to worry about, my son. Just take Stefan downstairs and don't open this door… no matter what you hear. Do you understand?"_

_ Damon looked like he was about to question his mother, but the intensity in her eyes kept his questions at bay and he quickly carried Stefan downstairs as she shut the door behind him. _

_ "They'll be perfectly safe," a voice instructed. Elena and Damon's mother turned at the sound and saw Klaus standing in the hallway. _

_ "They better be. I only promised to do this so you'd leave my family alone."_

_ "I always keep my word. I only need your magic, though… if those boys are half as powerful as you…"_

_ "They don't have any powers."_

_ Klaus stared at her incredulously, eyes flashing momentarily to the door the boys had just exited through._

_ "What do you mean, Samantha?"_

_ "I took them away. I want Damon and Stefan to have a normal life, and I don't want you taking advantage of them the way you did with me! After tonight, you will let them live their lives in peace!"_

_ Klaus nodded, though he seemed disappointed now. The thunder grew louder and the rain was now beating against the roof. Samantha returned her attention to the front windows, worriedly._

_ "He's getting closer; I can feel him," she explained._

_ "Is everything ready?"_

_ "The coffin is in the backyard. I couldn't have the boys finding it. It's already spelled; once I take him down, you know what you have to do."_

_ "I'll take care of it."_

_ Klaus disappeared from view, but Samantha remained fixed on the door, until slowly… it opened._

_ Elena gasped as the same man from her previous dream came waltzing through the door, black eyes surveying the room before resting on Samantha. _

_ "Rumor has it… you're the witch hiding Niklaus," he spoke. His voice was just as icy as his appearance and Elena felt the blood freeze in her veins. "Show him to me and your family will be spared."_

_ Samantha didn't answer, and simply closed her eyes. Elena was confused until the man began clutching his throat, dropping to his knees from the lack of air. Samantha began chanting and the whole house started to shake, causing the man to scream out in agony. Somehow, through his obvious pain, he managed to stand and advanced on Samantha, muttering foreign words of his own. _

_ This man's magic was clearly the stronger and Samantha seemed to be having trouble continuing her curse under the weight of his magic. _

_ "You stole something from me, Niklaus," the man yelled over the trembling of the house. "Return it, and this woman and her family will be spared."_

_ Samantha screamed out in agony as she pushed on, but Elena could already see trickles of blood pouring from her nose and eyes. But just as she was about to give out, the man let out an agonized scream of his own as a sword pierced his side. _

_ The young Damon stood holding the hilt of the sword with tears of anger streaming down his face._

_ "Stay away from my mother," he yelled, but the dark man recovered quickly, lifting Damon off the floor with nothing more than his mind and sending him flying across the room. Elena winced when she heard his head connect with the wall as he was rendered unconscious._

_ A yell of pure fury rang from Samantha and her chanting began again, with more force than before. This time, the man went to the ground, clutching his head, and in seconds, it was over. Elena guessed that someone that powerful probably wasn't dead, but he continued to lay motionless._

_ Samantha attempted to crawl to her son, but Klaus beat her to him._

_ "He'll live. He might have a headache when he wakes, but nothing serious," Klaus explained, carrying Damon to his mother. As Elena watched Samantha, she was reminded of Bonnie's grandmother the day she'd preformed the tomb spell, and knew that she only had minutes left._

_ Samantha kissed her son before slumping to the ground beside him, the cries of Stefan in the cellar filling the now quiet house._

As Elena awoke this time, tears were already making tracks down her face, which soon turned to full on sobs. Neither Damon nor Stefan had ever mentioned how their mother had died; she just knew that in all the stories they'd told, she wasn't in them. If this dream was true, did that mean that the man she's been dreaming about is in that coffin?

The memory of his black eyes was still strong in her mind and she knew instantly that she didn't want that coffin opened. But what should she say about the dream? Should she just… ask Damon how his mother died?

Her phone rang on her bedside table and she saw Damon's name pop up on the screen. She stared at the phone until the ringing finally stopped, too scared for him to hear the sadness in her voice.

~TVD~

Damon stared at the phone in his hand; Elena usually answered when he called. He tossed the phone on his bed while pulling a clean shirt from his closet. His plans were to meet up with Mama Witch and Judgy at the lake under Wickery Bridge, but now he was considering stopping by Elena's first. She was still pretty shaky when he'd dropped her off last night.

He'd just finished strapping his boots on when he heard the faint swirl of the air as someone appeared in his room.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

"So it was you who removed the dagger," Elijah clarified, eyeing Damon speculatively.

"Thought you might want to stretch your legs, get some fresh air."

"Let's just get to it, shall we. What's your master plan this time?"

"Well, someone missed their morning coffee."

"Damon, my brother informed me that you and Stefan have the coffin. I'm here to tell you right now not to open it."

Damon rolled his eyes, suddenly regretting his decision to release the backstabbing original. Why couldn't anyone ever just follow his plan?

"Any why shouldn't I," Damon asked, closing the distance between him and Elijah.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with. Trust me; what's in that coffin needs to stay there."

"Why? Don't tell me you're taking sides with your lying little brother again."

"Damon, I want my family back and you need to be rid of Klaus. I'll help you, but that coffin stays closed."

"And how do we kill Klaus without that coffin?"

Elijah paced the room, clearly deciding how much to divulge with Damon before he finally stopped to stare at a picture of Elena lying on Damon's dresser. He picked it up, running his fingers over her face before turning to meet Damon's curious gaze again.

"There is something that might be the key to killing Klaus, but unfortunately, it was lost back in the 1800s. Around your time I believe."

Elijah paused again, placing the picture back on the dresser and making his way back to Damon.

"What was it?"

"Something powerful... something I need to find. I had thought it was safer for it to be lost; safer because it wasn't in Klaus' hands… but it might be the only thing that can kill him."

"Fine, don't tell me. What's the plan then?"

"I need time to do some digging. In the meantime, Klaus thinks I'm helping him retrieve that coffin from Stefan. I need you to stall him."

"Yeah, the last time I did that for someone, I was skewered with a tiny umbrella."

"Well, you'll just have to be more creative this time."

With a parting grimace, Elijah was gone and Damon stared at his phone, no longer sure of his next move. He was startled when his phone vibrated in his hand, alerting him to a text from Bonnie.

_Found the necklace. Working on the spell to open the coffin._

With a long sign, Damon dialed her number and put the phone to his ear.

"Are you coming," an irritated Bonnie asked.

"Not right now. Don't pop the top just yet. I think we should wait until we know more."

~TVD~

Elena sat in her car, staring at the front door of the boarding house. It'd taken one very long shower and three cups of coffee before she'd finally built up the courage to drive over. Now she just hoped that Stefan wasn't home; the last thing she needed was to see the look of betrayal in his eyes when she asked to talk to Damon alone.

She was still staring at the door when there was a loud knock on her driver's side window, causing her to let out a surprised shriek in response.

"Nice to know I still keep you on your toes," Damon smirked, opening the door for her.

Elena stepped out but didn't return with a smile or quip remark like he thought she would. The memory of last night's dream was still fresh on her mind and she knew the conversation they were about to have wasn't going to be an easy one.

"We need to talk," she explained quickly, still refusing to look him in the eye.

"Okay… should I be worried."

Elena didn't answer, but her silence was all the explanation he needed.

"We can talk inside. Stefan's with Bonnie."

She nodded and let him guide her into the house, still replaying what she planned to say to him. This would probably be one of the toughest conversations they'd ever had and she wasn't completely sure how it would go. What if he didn't open up to her? What if there was no truth to the dream and she just needed to have her head scanned? She was sure to be going a little crazy from all this supernatural crap.

He sat down on the couch and pulled her down beside him, bringing her chin up so he could look into her eyes, which were on the verge of tears.

"What happened?"

"I had another dream… but this one was different than before…" She trailed off, uncertain how she should begin. Damon could never be considered fragile, but she was about to bring up the death of his mother.

"That bad? Elena, I can take them away." As he stared into her troubled eyes, his had taken on a slightly frantic look.

"Damon… how did your mom die?"

"What?"

Damon was completely taken off guard by this line of questioning. How did they go from her crazy dreams to his mom?

"Uh… she died from an illness when I was six. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Are you sure that's what happened?"

"That's what I was told. I don't really remember. Elena, what's going on?"

"The dream I had last night… your mother was in it… and so were you. Damon, she was a witch."

He didn't respond in any way, didn't even move, and at first, Elena feared he'd gone into shock. But then, he ran his hands through his hair and sought his much loved alcohol at the table behind the couch. It wasn't until his third drink that he finally spoke.

"You had a dream that my mother was witch? How do you know it was her?"

"You were in it too as a boy. And Klaus was there and so was the man from my other dream, the man with the black eyes. She did a spell to take him down and… and then she… died."

Elena nearly choked on the last word and she watched his face, waiting for his response. Damon stared into his empty tumbler, as if the remaining drops of scotch would hold the key that would make sense of all this.

"You're wrong. My mother died of an illness when I was six. It was sudden, and she was just dead. She was not a witch!"

"Damon, I know this is hard, but you have to believe me. She entombed that man in the coffin, the one Bonnie is trying to open."

"I think I would remember my mom fighting someone like…"

Something hit him, something that had eluded him yesterday when he'd gone into that dream. The man with the black eyes; it wasn't the first time he'd seen him. The memory of that man standing in the hallway of his father's house with the walls shaking around him was suddenly clear in his mind. Why was he just now remembering this?

"I need to see that dream," Damon ordered.

"Damon…"

Elena stood, coming up beside him to cup his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"You don't have to do that," she urged.

"I have a right to know how my mother died!" His eyes were fierce, but the longer her warm hands massaged his cheeks, the softer they became until a vulnerability shown through that Elena had never seen before.

"Okay," she nodded, taking his hand and leading him upstairs to his bedroom.

~TVD~

"What are you doing," Stefan asked as he watched Bonnie and Abby gather their grimoires from the cave floor.

"Damon wants to wait to open the coffin," Bonnie explained.

"What? No, I'm not waiting just because Damon has cold feet."

"He just wants to wait until we know more. We were going to go back through the other grimoires to see if we could find anything."

"Elijah must have got to him," Stefan mumbled, turning to punch the cave wall with his fist, sending shards of rock falling to the ground around him.

"Elijah?"

"Damon removed his dagger before Klaus came for the coffins. Apparently, he's Damon's new best friend."

Bonnie massaged her temples, trying to decide who she should trust now.

"Bonnie," Abby spoke up. "I don't think we should stop. The witch spirits wanted you to open this for a reason. We shouldn't give up."

"But what if Damon's right? What if this is a bad idea?"

"I trust our ancestors a lot more than some vampire."

After a moment of consideration, Bonnie nodded and placed the grimoires back on the ground to pick up where she'd left off. Something deep in Stefan's mind was troubling him. Weren't these the same witch spirits that had tried to kill Elena, and almost roasted him in the process? But this was about destroying Klaus; that was all that mattered now.

He pushed the thought from his head along with the unresolved passion for Elena and sat back to watch the witches at work.

**A/N:** Oh, Stefan; haven't you learned to trust your brother yet? Let me know what you think!


	4. Dire Consequences

**A/N: **Okay, so I know it's been forever and that is unforgivable, but I think I'm finally starting to overcome my writer's block with this story. It just took me a while with the way things were going on the show to figure out where my head was when I started it. So, hopefully I'll continue to update, but they might be a little slow at first. Again, so, so sorry! But I would like to thank everyone that reviewed so far!

Chapter 4: Dire Consequences

Stefan was instantly aware of a searing pain in the back of his head. Something sharp was poking onto his back and when he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. What happened?

He thought back through the last several hours. He remembered going to the lake under Wickery Bridge with Bonnie and Abby. They'd preformed a spell to retrieve a necklace… Elena's mother's necklace. But what happened next? Stefan racked his brain but kept coming up blank. Slowly, his eyes came into focus and he recognized the familiar cave walls.

_The coffin!_

They were trying to open the coffin. He remembered the walls shaking… rocks raining down on his head… an explosion?

No, not an explosion. He was sure in the instant he was knocked off his feet that the coffin opened. That memory had him rising unsteadily to his feet. He was right; the coffin stood open before him in the cave he couldn't enter. And lying on the ground beside it was Bonnie and Abby.

"Bonnie! Bonnie, can you hear me," he shouted.

No movement. His eyes scanned the coffin, realizing it was empty!

An enraged growl left his throat and he slammed his fist into the cave wall hard enough to cause them to shake. How could the weapon he'd been banking his hopes on be gone?

"Bonnie! Wake up! Bonnie!"

Finally, Bonnie's hand twitched and her eyelids fluttered.

"St… Stefan? What happened?"

"It's gone," was his only reply.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie propped herself up on an elbow and surveyed the open coffin curiously, until her eyes landed on her mom.

"Abby," she called, crawling to her and shaking her arm.

"Abby? Abby, wake up!"

But she never moved and Stefan extended his senses, trying to pick up her heartbeat, but could only hear Bonnie's.

"Abby! Mom! Wake up!"

"She's gone Bonnie," Stefan explained, surprised by the softness of his voice. Hadn't he left all his emotions behind?

"No! She can't be dead. I just got her back. Wake up, Mom!"

"Bonnie…"

Stefan watched the tears streak down his former friend's face, a familiar pain creeping into his chest. No, he didn't want to feel! He had to focus on his mission! Killing Klaus was all that mattered now. After taking a deep breath to reorganize his thoughts, he strode out of the cave, leaving the grieving Bonnie behind.

~TVD~

Elena didn't know how long Damon had sat staring at the fire crackling before them, the bottle of scotch beside him almost drained. She'd seen him upset before and had expected him to act out in some way, but she'd never expected this.

Damon was never one to be silent and he hadn't spoken a word since coming out of that dream. The rampage she'd expected had also never came and if he didn't make a move other than bringing the drink to his lips, she felt she would scream.

"Damon, please talk to me."

More silence. He didn't even look at her.

Changing tactics, she moved to stand in front of him, dropping to her knees so her face was level with his. Gently, her hands cupped his cheeks and she ducked down to look him in the eyes, which held a dead look, as if he was trying hard not to let any emotion in at all.

"Damon, I know this is hard. What can I do?"

"There's nothing to do."

Even his voice was only a shell of what he was. After everything she'd seen Damon do since they'd met, this scared her the most. When he was mad and acted out, she would show him reason; when he sad, she was there to comfort him. But this… she didn't know what emotions he was feeling, so how could she help him? At the moment, she sort of guessed that maybe he'd felt so many emotions all at once that his brain was fried.

Maybe that was it… he was brain dead. So maybe she should wake him up.

"I'm sorry about this," she apologized, and just as the confusion came into his eyes, she slapped him hard across the face, though she knew it probably hadn't hurt him as much as it had her hand.

"Ow… what was that for!"

"Good, you're angry. At least that's something I can work with. Now talk to me, please!"

"He lied," Damon yelled. "My dad lied to me, all this time! I had the right to know how she died!"

"I know."

"I can't believe I was supposed to be some stuck-up witch. That's why he never let us be around my mother's family."

Elena took his hand, gently rubbing circles on it with her thumb. All she wanted was to make that look of pain leave his beautiful face, but what could she do? She couldn't change the past.

"Damon, I know this hurts… but we need to make sure nobody opens that coffin. If that man is inside… the one that killed your mother, I don't think we should just set him free."

"Why not? She only locked him up because Klaus blackmailed her. Maybe we should let him out! And once he kills Klaus, I'll kill him myself!"

Damon was suddenly on his feet, a crazy look in his eyes. It was a look that terrified Elena. He could do anything in this state of mind.

"No, Damon. We don't know who this man is or what he's capable of. We need more information before–"

"I don't care, Elena. If he can kill Klaus, we need him. After that, we can get all the information we need, including why he killed my mother." Damon's voice was low and deadly and he was swiftly walking through the room towards the door.

Elena hurried after him, hoping to bring some reason into his mind before they made it to the cave. She'd had a bad feeling about this man since her first dream. There was just something so evil in his eyes; she shivered now at the memory.

But before they made it to the door, the walls around them started to shake.

"What's happening," Elena gasped.

"What… you've never experienced an earthquake before," Damon deadpanned, still too emotionless for real humor.

The shaking was minimal at first, but it quickly intensified, until the sound of glass and ceramics crashing to the ground filled the air. Elena was stunned at first, trying desperately to remember the proper protocol for the situation, when suddenly, she was flying through the air.

Damon pulled her into a doorway, shielding her body as pieces of the ceiling fell around them. Something about this seemed wrong. Elena was certain it was more than just a natural disaster and the thunder echoing in the distance seemed to back up her thoughts.

"Damon…," she stared, clinging to him tighter.

"I know. Don't worry; it'll be over soon."

Just then, the doorway above them started to give way and Damon snatched her again and rushed for the door, blurring outside. But just as they cleared the door, lightning streaked the sky illuminating the otherwise dark day and casting strange shadows on the dark purple clouds.

"What's happening," Elena asked.

Damon just continued to stare at the sky, holding her steady as the ground shook beneath them. And then, as fast as it came on, it stopped.

"I think we better call Stefan," Damon suggested in an oddly quiet voice. He only had to wait for two rings.

"Damon, we have a problem," Stefan started.

"Yeah, I guessed that. What did you do?"

"I… Bonnie and Abby opened the coffin, but… something happened. Abby's dead and… whatever was in there is gone."

~TVD~

Jeremy finished the shading on the lake monster he'd just drawn. He decided the fierce eyes would look good in yellow, contemplating the exact shade he'd use once he got back home. Technically, he was supposed to taking notes for the video they were currently watching in class, but the human genome just didn't hold much interest for him. He wondered briefly what all those stuffy scientists would think if they knew how supernatural their world really was.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to his approaching teacher and he quickly covered the sketch with his notebook, studiously jotting down a few random notes that may or may not have anything to do with the current lesson.

As Mr. Colman strolled past him, Jeremy kept his eyes focused on the TV in the front of the classroom, but something by the door caught his eye.

A flash of dark, wavy hair.

He sat up straighter, hoping it would help him see more clearly, but there was nothing there. Jeremy shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes, hoping to clear his curious mind. Surely it was just some random student passing by the door. But for a second he'd sworn it was…

"Jeremy," a voice called from behind him and he whirled around to see… nothing.

No one was there. What was wrong with him?

"Jeremy," it called again, and this time, the voice was clear enough for him to recognize.

Mr. Colman was just making his way back to his desk and Jeremy jumped up and grabbed the hall pass.

"Bathroom already, Gilbert," he asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Make it quick."

Jeremy nodded and ducked out of the room, searching the vacant halls. And then, suddenly, she was right in front of him.

"Jeremy, you need to get back to Mystic Falls, now," Anna warned, her tone serious.

"What? What happened? I thought I'd never see you again?"

"There's no time to explain. Go now!"

She was gone as soon as the words left her mouth and without a second thought, Jeremy flew back into the classroom, grabbing his notebook and sketch pad and flinging them haphazardly into his backpack.

"Where do you think you're going, Gilbert," the teacher asked, eyeing him incredulously.

"Sorry. Emergency at home. Got to go," he yelled over his shoulder as he hurried out of the room. What could Anna mean? What had happened in Mystic Falls? Of course, the answer to that question was endless. It could be anything from a new vampire to a nuclear explosion. Hurriedly, he dialed Elena's number, only for it to go straight to voicemail. He tried someone else…

"Hello," Bonnie answered in a dead voice. At first he didn't even recognize it was her.

"Bonnie? What happened?"

Silence. Jeremy climbed in his car, romping down on the gas pedal as soon as the key was in the ignition.

"Bonnie, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened," he asked again, the panic burning through him.

"She's dead," was all she responded in a nearly silent voice.

"What? Who… who's dead?"

Jeremy gulped down the dread that had risen to his throat at those words. Damon was with Elena; Damon would always protect Elena! She couldn't be dead!

"My… mom…"

Bonnie's sobs filled the phone and Jeremy let out a sigh of relief. Not that his heart wasn't breaking for her loss… but Elena was alive.

"I'm on my way," he explained, ending the call and heading straight for the highway.

~TVD~

Damon was speeding through the crowded streets, gunning for Elena's house. Stefan and Bonnie were meeting them there, along with Alaric.

"We should call Elijah. You said he warned you about opening the coffin; maybe he knows how to contain this… man… warlock, or whatever," Elena suggested, pulling out her phone, only to remember he probably didn't have a phone after being dead for months.

"Later. First I want to get you somewhere safe."

"Damon, I'll be fine. Maybe you were right, and this guy will actually kill Klaus."

"Yeah, and then leave us with a cranky warlock that can't be killed," Damon responded sourly. He was clearly still reeling from his recent revelation and Elena reached out to take his hand.

And then the car screeched to a dead stop.

"What the…," Elena began, but as she looked up, she saw the utter destruction in front of her.

City hall had completely collapsed, leaving rubble piled in the streets and bystanders trying frantically to pull others from the ruins. Elena only took in the scene for two seconds before launching herself from the car.

"Elena! Stop," Damon yelled after her, but she'd already ran to the first person she came to – a man attempting to lift a large piece of sheet rock from the legs a woman.

"Damon… help me," she pleaded, but he was already there, lifting the wreckage free as the sirens sounded in the distance.

**A/N: **So, I know with the way the show is now that it might be kind of hard to think all the way back to episode 12, so let me know what you think! Honestly!


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